On August 1, 1965, Frank Herbert’s epic Dune was published for the first time. In 2003, it was named the world’s bestselling science fiction novel. This quiz is a celebration of science fiction and fantasy.

Sci-fi and more

1 If it is Emmys in television and Oscars in film, which annual award, around since 1953 and named after the founder of the sci-fi magazine Amazing Stories , is regarded as the most prestigious award in science fiction and fantasy?

2 According to the author, the idea behind the title came to him as he lay drunk in a field in Innsbruck, Austria, gazing up at the stars. The travel book he was carrying apparently triggered the idea. Name the book he went on to write.

3 Which film released in 1968, based on a short story, showcased an assortment of future technology, including voice and face recognition, teleconferencing, robotic satellites, orbital space stations and what appeared to be the original iPad?

4 In 1877, astronomers first sighted the two moons of Mars — Phobos and Deimos. But which social satire written over 150 years earlier featured a floating world of scientists who had identified that Mars had two moons?

5 Which futuristic crime caper published in 1984 follows a hacker and cyber thief and was the first novel to win the triple crown of sci-fi awards — the Hugo Award, the Nebula Award, and the Philip K Dick Award? It was also regarded as the inspiration for the Matrix films.

6 Which Indian scientist, who developed the conformal gravity theory along with legendary astronomer Fred Hoyle, has written science fiction novels in both English and Marathi? The English novels are titled The Return of Vaman , The Adventure and The Comet .

7 After which famous science fiction and science writer did Honda name the humanoid it developed in 2000?

8 Julian ‘Bean’ Delphiki, Alai, Shen, Petra Arkanian and Dink Meeker are the friends and associates of which enduring character in science fiction? He meets them in Battle School.

9 Which series in the Star Wars universe is set after the fall of the umpire and features Din Djarin, a lone bounty hunter in the outer reaches of the galaxy?

10 If it is Viserion, Rhaegal and Drogon in A Song of Ice and Fire , Norbert in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (later called Norberta) and Errol in Guards! Guards! , who is it in The Hobbit?

Answers

1 The Hugo, named after Hugo Gernsback.

2 Douglas Adams was carrying a copy of the Hitch-hiker’s Guide To Europe and he thought somebody should write The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy .

32001: A Space Odyssey , written by Arthur C Clarke and directed by Stanley Kubrick.

4 Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift. The floating world of Laputa had scientists who had seen that Mars had two moons.

5Neuromancer by William Gibson.

6 Jayant Narlikar.

7 Isaac Asimov; they named it the ASIMO, also a combination of the Japanese words for ‘leg’ and ‘mobility’ and also the backronym Advanced Step in Innovative Mobility.

8 Ender Wiggin from Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card.

9The Mandalorian , the first live action series of the Star Wars franchise.

10 Smaug. These are dragons in various fantasy novels. Smaug is one of the central characters of The Hobbit .

BLINKJOY
 

Joy Bhattacharjya is a quizmaster;

Twitter: @joybhattacharj

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